Psalms 105

Psalms 105:1

Offend - By grieving, discouraging and tempting them to revolt from God.

Psalms 105:2

To know - To find out the reason of this providence.

Psalms 105:3

Until - ‘Till I consulted the word of God. He alludes to the practice of those times, which was, in difficult cases to resort to God’s sanctuary, and the oracle therein. Their end - There I learned that their prosperity was short.

Psalms 105:5

Terrors - With God’s dreadful judgements unexpectedly seizing upon them.

Psalms 105:6

They awake - Out of the pleasant dream of this vain life. Despise - Thou shalt make them despicable both to themselves and to all others; raise them to shame, and everlasting contempt. Image - All their felicity and glory, which shall be evidently discerned to be, no real or substantial thing, but a mere image or shadow.

Psalms 105:7

Pricked - I was deeply wounded with disquieting thoughts.

Psalms 105:8

Nevertheless - Although I gave thee just cause to cast me off, yet thou didst continue thy care and kindness to me. Hast held - That my faith might not fail.

Psalms 105:13

Go a whoring - Those who revolt from thee, to work wickedness; which is called whoredom in scripture.

Psalms 105:17

Thy congregation - Thy people. Thine inheritance - The tribe of Judah, which thou hast in a special manner chosen for thine inheritance, and for the birth of the Messiah. Nor is it strange that he mentions this tribe particularly, because the calamity here remembered, did principally befal this tribe, and Benjamin, which was united with it.

Psalms 105:18

Lift up - Come speedily to our rescue. Because - Because otherwise our destruction is irrecoverable.

Psalms 105:19

Roar - In a way of triumph. Midst, &c. - In the places where thy people used to assemble for thy worship. Set up - Monuments of their victory.

Psalms 105:20

Famous - The temple was so noble a structure, that it was a great honour to any man to be employed in the meanest part of the work, though it were but in cutting down the trees of Lebanon.

Psalms 105:21

Axes and hammers - These words are not Hebrew, but Chaldee or Syriack, to point out the time when this was done, even when the Chaldeans brought in their language, together with their arms, among the Israelites.

Psalms 105:23

Destroy them - All at once. So they intended, although afterwards they changed their council, and carried some away captive. Burnt up - All the public places wherein the Jews used to meet together to worship God every sabbath - day.

Psalms 105:24

Signs - Those tokens of God’s gracious presence, which we used to enjoy. The temple and ark, and sacrifices, and solemn feasts, were signs between God and his people. Prophet - Who can foretell things to come. Probably Ezekiel and Jeremiah were dead when this psalm was composed; and David was involved in civil affairs, and did not teach the people as a prophet. Knoweth - How long their captivity should continue.

Psalms 105:26

Why - Why dost thou forebear the exercise of thy power? Bosom - In which thou now seemest to hide it.

Psalms 105:27

King - It belongs therefore to thy office to protect and save me. Midst - In the view of the world.

Psalms 105:28

Dragons - He means Pharaoh and his mighty men.

Psalms 105:29

Leviathan - Pharaoh. The people - To the ravenous birds and beasts of the desert. These creatures are significantly called the people of the wilderness, because they are the only people that inhabit it.

Psalms 105:30

The flood - Thou didst by cleaving the rock, make a fountain and a stream to flow from it, for the refreshment of thy people in those dry deserts. Driedst - Jordan and the Red Sea; for the sea itself; yea, a greater sea than that, is called a river, Jonah 2:3, where the Hebrew word is the same which is here used. And the same title is expressly given to the sea, by Homer, and other ancient writers.

Psalms 105:31

The light - The moon, the lesser light.

Psalms 105:32

Set - Thou hast fixed the bounds of the habitable world in general, and of all the countries and people upon the earth. And as this clause shews God’s power over all places, so the next displays his dominion over all times and seasons.

Psalms 105:33

Remember - Though we deserve to be forgotten, yet do not suffer our enemies to reproach the name of the great and glorious God.

Psalms 105:34

Soul - The life. Turtle - dove - Of thy church, which is fitly compared to a turtle - dove, because simple and harmless, and meek, and faithful.

Psalms 105:35

The covenant - Made with Abraham, whereby thou didst give the land of Canaan to him, and to his seed for ever. Dark places - This dark and dismal land in which we live.

Psalms 105:36

Return - From the throne of thy grace, to which they make their resort.

Psalms 105:40

Thy name - Thy self; art present with us, and ready to help.

Psalms 105:41

Receive - The whole congregation, all the tribes.

Psalms 105:42

Dissolved - Or, destroyed; by intestine divisions and wars. I hear - I support it, by maintaining religion and justice, by setting up good magistrates, and encouraging good ministers, and good men, who are indeed the pillars of a nation.

Psalms 105:43

I said - I charged them. Deal not - Desist from your practices. Lift not up - Do not carry yourselves scornfully and maliciously.

Psalms 105:44

Lift not - A metaphor from untamed oxen, which will not bow their heads to receive the yoke. Stiff neck - With pride and contempt.